Self employed, freelance or a contractor? Get instant plain English guidance on your rights, IR35 status, contracts and tax obligations — checked against official sources.
↓ Try the Checker NowGenuinely self-employed people are responsible for their own tax and National Insurance through Self Assessment. The trading allowance of £1,000 means you don't need to register if your gross income is below this amount. Profits above £12,570 are subject to income tax.
IR35 (off-payroll working rules) can reclassify contractors as employees for tax purposes. For public sector clients and medium or large clients outside the public sector, the client decides IR35 status. For a small client outside the public sector, your own limited company decides.
Key areas covered: self-employment tax, IR35, trading allowance, Self Assessment, Class 4 NI, worker status. Checked against official sources.
Status depends on the genuine reality of your working relationship — control over how work is done, whether you can send a substitute, and your level of financial risk — not simply what your contract states. A blanket "inside IR35" determination applied without individual assessment can be challenged through the client's formal disagreement process.
Clients are required to have a process allowing you to formally disagree with a status determination, responding with reasons within 45 days — if a client has no such process or ignores your challenge, this is itself a compliance failure worth raising directly.
This checker gives you a plain English read on your specific situation, answered only from its own guide for your part of the UK, checked against official sources. No login needed, and your answer is generated instantly based on what you tell us.
Our guidance covers many common situations, but complex or high-stakes cases need professional advice. For employment issues, contact ACAS in England, Wales and Scotland (0300 123 1100) or the Labour Relations Agency in Northern Ireland (03300 555 300). For free general advice, contact Citizens Advice (England 0800 144 8848, Wales 0800 702 2020), Citizens Advice Scotland (0800 028 1456) or Advice NI (0800 915 4604). For urgent housing problems in England, Shelter can help on 0808 800 4444.
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Describe your situation and we'll check your rights and obligations
Tip: Focus on one issue at a time for the clearest answer. If you have multiple issues, run them separately for a full picture on each one.
Describe your situation: how you work (your own limited company, an agency or an umbrella company), who the client is and whether it is public sector, small, medium or large, what the client decided about IR35 and when, and what you want to know.
Free · Guidance only, not legal advice
Am I employed or self-employed?
Employment status depends on factors including control (who decides how and when you work), substitution (can you send someone else), and financial risk. HMRC and employment tribunals look at the reality of the arrangement, not just what a contract says.
Do self-employed people have employment rights?
Genuinely self-employed people have fewer rights than employees, but all workers including gig economy workers are entitled to the National Minimum Wage, working time protections, and protection from discrimination.
What is worker status and what rights does it give?
Workers (a middle category between employee and self-employed) are entitled to the National Minimum Wage, paid holiday, protection under the Working Time Regulations, and whistleblower protections. They do not have full unfair dismissal rights.
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✉️ Generate My Letter Free →The checker answers only from this guide (one guide for the whole UK; lines that differ by nation are marked), plus what you tell it. If your question is not covered there, it says so instead of guessing. Each guide was checked against primary sources on 25 September 2026.
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Further reading: our blog explains what Making Tax Digital for Income Tax means for you.
Directed and published by Matt Thompson, founder of UK Work Rights. Guidance checked against GOV.UK, ACAS and legislation.gov.uk. This is general rights guidance, not legal advice.
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